Hi Everyone:
Thank-you to everyone who attended our first ever virtual Annual General Meeting over Zoom at the end of January. I was pleased that the technology worked, giving us the opportunity to get together as a group and attend to business.
At the AGM, Hans Huizinga and Stephen Yakimets were re-elected to the Board of Directors, and Brian Ducherer and Wayne Telcs were elected to the Board. Both Wayne and Brian were CN employees, and have many years of community and board involvement. We are excited to have their ideas and input.
The Board of Directors is currently composed of:
President: Stephen Yakimets
Vice President: Brian Ducherer
Treasurer: Kevin Franchuk
Secretary: Roland Nairon
Director, Gift Shop Manager: Judy Wolfe
Director, Archivist: Hans Huizinga
Director: Motive Power: Bob Cowie
Director at Large: Wayne Telcs
Following the guidelines issued by Alberta Health Services, the Museum is currently closed to indoor gatherings. I very much appreciate the willingness of Barry Collis and Terry Wolfe to inspect the site on a regular basis. A work crew was formed by Barry to fix the tarps on the CN Timeline car, which was done outside. The restoration of NAR 73 is complete, with thanks to all the volunteers who lent a hand, and to Alberta Heritage Resources Foundation for their grant. Next up will be the siding on the NAR business car Dunvegan.
The Alberta Railway Museum is part of the Heritage Rail Alliance (HRA), a North American organization dedicated to railway preservation. The Canadian Council of the HRA meets monthly to share best practices. This coming Saturday, February 20, the Canadian Council is hosting a free virtual conference, at which Roland Nairon and I will be presenting. See the attached flier for details and to sign up.
CN has been a generous supporter of our organization for many years, and we are grateful for the funding provided through the company’s Railroaders in the Community program which recognizes the volunteer hours put in by its pensioners and current employees. The company will provide organizations $15 for every volunteer hour submitted, which can translate into up to $3,250 for the museum for a CN employee volunteer! If you are a CN employee or retiree, please consider enrolling and tracking your hours, as every penny earned through this program will help our mission and future of rail heritage in Alberta. Please see the attached for more details on how to access the program online.
Our on again, off again casino may be on again in April when casinos are scheduled to reopen, pending Alberta Health Services COVID guidelines. If I hear of any updates from either Alberta Gaming or the Starlight Casino, I will send out an alert and call for volunteers. I recognize that not everyone is comfortable working a casino in light of COVID, and understand that if you had volunteered in the past, you may not be comfortable doing so now.
Two small items to finish:
1. Please purchase a membership if you have not done so already. It can easily be done online. Having paid members helps funding organizations see us as a viable organization.
https://albertarailwaymuseum.
2. I have a number of CN 2021 Calendars. If anyone would like one, please let me know.
Thank you all for your support. Please continue to reach out to me with your ideas, comments, and suggestions.
Thanks, Stephen
